(upbeat rock music) - Coming up next on "NewsDepth," we visit a lab where techs track virus variants.

Plus, Margaret puts the five-second rule to the test.

We hear which words you chose to rep 2021.

And what's up with Cleveland's flag?

"NewsDepth" is now.

(upbeat rock music continuing) Move over T-Rex, there's a new dino in town.

Hey everybody, I'm Rick Jackson.

Thank you for joining us.

The skeleton of a new dinosaur species was discovered in Missouri, and parts of it will soon be on display.

Scientists have been studying the remains of the Parrosaurus missouriensis for some time, but it wasn't until they got to the teeth that they realized it was a whole new species.

A species is a group of similar organisms that can reproduce with one another.

Justina Coronel has our story.

- Actually, there's a lotta picking that's gonna have to go on with this.

It's gonna take a lotta work.

[Justina] For decades, Ste.

Genevieve Museum Learning Center curator Guy Darrough has been digging for new information.

- I always kept my eyes to the ground.

Ever since I was a little kid, I was making discoveries.

- [Justina] It's that spirit that's led to a discovery unlike he's ever seen before.

- We've only got one main dinosaur from Missouri.

That's Parrosaurus missouriensis - [Justina] It's a tale about a tail that started 80 years ago in Bollinger County, about two hours south of St. Louis.

- They originally found the tail of a dinosaur.

They didn't know what it was.

They thought it was from like a long-necked guy, like this guy right there.

Nobody really could put their finger on what it was until recently.

- [Justina] Throughout time, Darrough visited the site, locating more bones.

- I discovered this.

This is a juvenile Parrosaurus.

- [Justina] And when they unearthed bigger parts, they called the Field Museum in Chicago for help.

- About a month ago, they pulled out a major part of the body which is the size of a Volkswagen.

They had to lift it out with a piece of equipment.

We got pretty much a whole Missouri dinosaur there, and it could be like 30-35 feet long.

- [Justina] Finally a moment they could sink their teeth into.

- They could pretty well determine from these jaws that this is a totally different different dinosaur.

Usually, the teeth are a big determining factor.

It's a new genus and species.

That's like hitting King Tut's treasure in Missouri is what that's like.

- Most of the parts are getting cleaned in the Windy City, but some are here.

The Ste.

Genevieve Museum Learning Center will soon open up and become the official Missouri dinosaur visitor site.

It's a historic moment for Missouri.

However, we're told this is just the beginning.

- We're really looking for more dinosaurs.

It's a ancient environment that's preserved and we're just now really kinda getting started.

- Thanks, Justina.

The Ste.

Genevieve Museum Learning Center had its grand opening just this past weekend.

Very exciting!

Well, more ancient items, this time in Italy, are getting help from an unusual source: bacteria.

Bacteria are tiny single-celled organisms that live almost everywhere.

Some can make you sick, but others are actually good for you.

Restorers are using a specific type of bacteria, literally attaching them to what needs to be restored to clean up the dirt, damage, and aging of sculptures and even paintings.

These tiny organisms even helped clean up Michelangelo's statues in the Medici Chapel.

Ben Wedeman explains.

- Rome may be the Eternal City.

Its ancient artifacts, however, are not, under unrelenting assault by the ravages of time, pollution, acid rain, and the sweat and breath of millions of tourists.

(Alessandro speaking foreign language) Conservator Alessandro Lugari and his colleagues are using the latest technology to try to salvage the city's treasures.

(Alessandro speaking foreign language) "See the block," he asks.

"It's about four cubic meters, several tons, "and inside there are billions of bacteria," bacteria that ever so slowly disfigures and erodes the marble.

(Alessandro speaking foreign language) "We built a box so it would be dark," Lugari explains.

"The temperature and humidity should be relatively high "to recreate conditions on the outside like those inside."

They then covered the outside of the marble with enzymes, drawing the bacteria out to the surface, where it calcified, strengthening the stone.

Increasingly, restoration work is being done on a molecular level.

But of course, for Italy, the challenge is huge because it has archeological sites on a monumental scale.

While some fight bacteria, others are using it to eat away grease and dirt.

Microbiologist Chiara Alisi and her team at ENEA, Italy's National Agency for New Technologies, search for potentially useful strains of bacteria in industrial waste sites, abandoned mines, and from the distant past.

(Chiara speaking foreign language) "They've already been selected by nature "to develop potential abilities "which we can test and study and apply," she says.

"This strain we collected from an Etruscan tomb.

(Chiara speaking foreign language) It's a complicated process, isolating individual strains that thrive on the right kind of filth, sequencing the DNA, and then putting them to work.

(bottle spraying) Silvia Borghini shows us the results in the garden of the Museo Nazionale Romano.

With a toothbrush, she removes gel suffused with bacteria from a block of marble once part of a fourth-century Roman bridge.

The cleanest strip was covered for 24 hours with the SH-7 strain.

(Silvia speaking foreign language) "It's easy to apply, "and afterwards the artifacts stay clean," Silvia says.

"It doesn't harm the environment.

"It's not toxic for us or the flora in the garden.

"It's perfect."

(Silvia speaking foreign language) And therein lies the paradox.

A single-celled organism could help preserve this city's ancient glory.

- Thanks, Ben.

Now, remember, it's a special type of bacteria, so no sneezing on the paintings in your museum, okay?

And speaking of bacteria, Margaret's got a whole "Spot on Science" involving microbial organisms.

Take a look.

(energetic music) - Have you ever overloaded your plate and lost a cookie to the floor?

Five-second rule.

You can eat it if it didn't touch the floor for more than five seconds, right?

(buzzer buzzing) Maybe not.

Some scientists at Rutgers University took the five-second rule to the lab to see if it really is okay to eat foods that have fallen on the floor.

They dropped watermelon, buttered bread, plain bread, and gummy candies on different floor types, like tile, wood, and carpet.

Then they tested the food for bacteria.

Turns out, contamination for some of the food was instant.

Bacteria transferred the most to the watermelon and the least to the gummy candy.

According to the researchers, this is because bacteria don't have legs to just hop on the food.

They need moisture to help them hitch a ride.

So, the more watery the fallen food, the more bacteria it's going to pick up.

And they did note the longer the food is on the ground, the dirtier it gets.

But still, five seconds is plenty enough time to make you think twice about biting into that fallen cookie, especially if it's a gooey one.

(Earth bouncing) - Thank you, Margaret.

Hey, by the way, that cookie, the one you gave me earlier, that wasn't from the floor, was it?

Well, for this week's poll, we wanna know if you follow the five-second rule.

Head online to vote, "Yep, I follow it," "Yuck, no way," or, "I used to, but now I won't."

And speaking of polls, let's take a look at the results from last week.

We asked you which winter activity you're looking forward to the most.

37% of you said you like sledding.

Now, this might be a good time to remind you that it's smart to wear a helmet when you are sledding or ice skating and to keep an eye out for black ice as well.

Protect those noggins.

Okay, I'm enjoying these science stories, so let's get back to it.

Ever wonder what happens to those nose swabs and other COVID-19 tests?

Well, they head to a lab, where medical and clinical laboratory technologists analyze the results.

Before we head to the lab ourselves, let's learn a little more about these folks.

A medical or clinical laboratory technologist, we call them lab techs for short, is someone who performs complicated tests in a laboratory to find, treat, or prevent illnesses.

These technologists have excellent critical thinking and investigation skills.

They're good at figuring out problems, reading charts, and graphs.

They usually earn a bachelor's degree from a college or university.

Some states even require a special license for the job, but Ohio does not.

Here, it's expected there will be about 750 openings for lab techs each year, with a bright outlook for even more spots to fill in the future.

It's considered an in-demand career.

Okay, now let's see the job up close.

At a lab in North Carolina, technicians are using a process called DNA sequencing to search for new variants of the coronavirus.

Dianne Gallagher takes us inside.

Di?

- [Dianne] This is the frontline in the hunt for Omicron in the US.

After you finish that often uncomfortable COVID test- - [Nurse] You're doing great, perfect.

Next nostril.

- [Dianne] It's usually shipped to a place like Mako Medical Laboratories, just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.

- [Matthew] 10,000 square feet just COVID processing.

- [Dianne] Mako sequences samples taken in more than 40 states.

- 30,000 per day is how many we're processing right now, so that's about 100,000 or so per week.

- [Dianne] Labs like this are key in detecting the Omicron variant in the United States because of what they do after identifying a positive test.

- As of right now, we are at the point where we're sequencing every positive that we get.

- [Dianne] Genomic sequencing, complicated and expensive testing that reveals the precise genetic lineage of the virus, is the only way to identify new COVID-19 variants.

Mako is one of just over 60 labs that does sequencing for the CDC's National Strain Surveillance Network.

- Yeah, I would say it takes between two to three days to actually fully get the sequence, from confirming a sample as positive to library prepping the DNA and then to actually sequencing that library.

- [Dianne] The World Health Organization and the CDC declared Omicron a variant of concern after it was flagged by scientists in South Africa.

A mutation in the Omicron variant causes a peculiar test result called an S-gene dropout.

- [Lauren] N-gene is the blue curve, and then the green curve is the S-gene.

- [Dianne] And it would normally be up there with them?

- [Lauren] Yeah.

Typically, they're all grouped pretty closely together.

- [Dianne] Making a suspicious case easy to spot for expedited sequencing.

- We have about six samples right now that have that signature S-gene dropout.

- [Dianne] But sequencing is required to confirm Omicron because it isn't the only variant with that type of marker.

Scientists at Mako say they've seen many different variants throughout the pandemic.

Some, like Delta, become the dominant strain, while others fade quickly or never take off.

Right now, there's no way to know what type of impact Omicron could have on the US, but they agree that when it comes to cracking COVID, knowledge is power.

- Every time it transmits from a person to another person, it's another chance for the virus to mutate and change into something different.

So, being able to monitor it, it really highlights the importance of testing, right?

Because without the testing, you really have no baseline to understand what's going on.

- Thanks, Dianne.

That's pretty interesting work.

Now, last week, we told you that Merriam-Webster chose "vaccine" as its Word of the Year."

Then we asked you to choose a positive word for 2021.

Let's see what you had to say by opening up our inbox.

(mouse clicking) (message notification chiming) Nathan from Chardon Hills Stem School in Euclid wrote, "I would choose "happiness" "because we really need happiness this year.

"COVID-19 has had a big impact on what we do "and what we don't do.

"Traveling has been prevented in different countries.

"The only safe place to take off your mask "is home because of Omicron, "but taking masks off if you haven't been vaccinated "is a don't.

"I think the only happiness we have "is that we have vaccines.

"I think Merriam-Webster made the right decision.

"We need happiness in the world, and we haven't had a lot, "so I think we need happiness this year "and the years to come."

Thanks, Nathan!

(message notification chiming) Sophia from Troy Intermediate in Avon Lake chose a good one.

"The positive word I would say for 2021 is "safety" "because it shows how we've developed "a vaccine for COVID-19, "and that is a relief from fear of the virus."

(message notification chiming) Here's a letter from Maddi at Hayes Elementary in Lakewood.

"The positive word I would use for 2021 is "exciting."

"I would use this word because we got to do "so many things this year "that we didn't get to do last year.

"For example, I got to see my uncle "when he flew in from California.

"He had to cancel his flight last year, "so we didn't get to see him.

"This is specifically the word I would use for 2021."

(message notification chiming) Jonathan from Richardson Elementary in Cuyahoga Falls wrote, "Inspiring."

"Why?

"Because there've been so many good moments "that people don't think of just because of COVID.

"This year, we get to have so many more holidays "because of the things that have happened "to let us be in school and see our family and friends.

"That is the terrific word I chose for this year."

(message notification chiming) And finally, Grayson from Bath Elementary in Bath wrote, "I think the positive word for 2021 is "thankful" "because we should all be thankful "for the COVID-19 vaccine and booster.

"We can all also be thankful for the children's vaccine too.

"That is why I chose "thankful" for my positive word."

Good vocab picks, everybody.

Now, 2021 also marked the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941.

Japan attacked the US Navy base in Hawaii.

They destroyed more than half of the fleet of aircraft and damaged all eight battleships, including the USS Arizona.

One day later, December 8th of 1941, the US declared war on Japan and officially entered World War II.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, fewer than 250,000 US World War II veterans are still alive.

That's out of 16 million who served.

Every passing anniversary of the "date which will live in infamy" grows more and more important.

That phrase is what the president called it in a speech back then.

To mark the 80th anniversary, a group of World War II vets flew to Pearl Harbor.

Pete Muntean reports.

(people cheering) (reverent music) - [Pete] It is a hero's sendoff eight decades in the making.

Jack Holder was enlisted in the Navy as a machinist.

And 101-year-old Cass Phillips- - I was 21.

- [Pete] Was a radioman on a flying boat- - [Newsman] That the Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor- - [Pete] When Japanese fighters and bombers started their attack on Pearl Harbor.

They are among 63 World War II veterans boarding this American Airlines flight to Hawaii.

- Pearl Harbor means... A lot.

- [Pete] This is an all-volunteer mission that organizers say is critical.

When they started planning, four more Pearl Harbor veterans were supposed to be onboard.

- [Pilot] We're gonna get you up here.

- [Pete] 97-year-old Walter Lubetsky flew large transport plans in the Pacific Theater.

- This is it!

- [Pete] Now, his daughter is flying him to Hawaii.

- I can't even...

I don't even have words for it because it's just such an honor.

And never in my wildest dreams would I think that I would be doing this.

- [Pete] In Hawaii, they paid homage to the sunken USS Arizona, where more than 1,000 sailors remain entombed.

101-year-old Ira Shaub watched the attack in horror from the nearby USS Dobbin.

- It's hard to say what the feelings that run through your mind are.

You're scared.

You don't know what's going to happen next.

- [Pete] A GoFundMe for his visit to Pearl Harbor exceeded its goal by more than $6,000.

One more member of the Greatest Generation grateful to see this 80th anniversary.

- Thank you, Pete.

Did you notice all the American flags in that piece?

I'm sure it's easy for you to spot as a symbol of our country.

And I bet a lot of you recognize Ohio's state flag too.

We even have a whole "Know Ohio" about it, look it up.

But what about the flag for your city?

Now, not every city has a flag, but Cleveland does, and that's where "NewsDepth" films!

A lotta people here couldn't tell you, though, what the Cleveland flag looks like, so our reporter Gabriel Kramer set out to get to the bottom of it.

Gabriel?

- Here's a quick history lesson for you.

This is the flag of Cleveland.

It was designed in 1896, that's Cleveland's centennial year, by Susie Hepburn, who at the time was a Cleveland Institute of Art student.

Now, this flag, the symbol for the city, isn't flown much around town, which got me wondering: Would people even recognize it if they saw it?

So, I decided to ask my coworkers.

(computer call dialing) Hey there.

- Hey!

- Hey.

- Hey, Gabe.

(laughing) - Hi.

- Hello.

- Have you seen this before?

- No.

- No.

- No.

- No.

- Maybe?

- Yes, that's the Cleveland flag.

- It was well off before I was born 'cause it's 1796.

(laughing) - It is the (pausing) Cleveland symbol.

- So, why is it that this flag is so unrecognizable?

Well, in 2015, Roman Mars, the host of a podcast called "99% Invisible," hosted a TED Talk where he talked all about city flags.

- Sometimes I bring up the topic of flags and people are like, "I don't care about flags."

And then we start talking about flags and, trust me, 100% of people care about flags.

There's just something about them that works on our emotions.

- [Gabriel] He says a well-designed flag follows some basic guidelines.

- Number one.

- Keep it simple.

- [Narrator] Keep it simple.

Number two.

- Use meaningful symbolism.

- [Narrator] Number three.

- [Roman] Use two to three basic colors.

- [Gabriel] So far so good with the Cleveland flag.

- Number four.

- No lettering or seals.

- [Narrator] Never use writing of any kind.

- [Roman] Because you can't read that at a distance.

- Number five.

- And be distinctive.

- [Gabriel] And maybe I spoke too soon.

It is simple, though, just three colors, and has symbolism, a cog to represent industry, oars to represent Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River, plus the green wreath as a nod to forestry.

But it does come together in a seal with plenty of letters and numbers, and it does kind of look like the French flag.

- But a great city flag is something that represents a city to its people and its people to the world at large.

And when that flag is a beautiful thing, that connection is a beautiful thing.

- The small details of Cleveland's flag might be hard to miss when it's flying high up in the sky, so perhaps a new fresh design would be better-suited for the flag of Cleveland, and there are plenty of people online who think so.

There are Facebook groups advocating for a new Cleveland flag.

And in 2015, Gregory Kula started an online petition to get others onboard.

It didn't get much traction, but he stands by the idea that the city would benefit from a new flag.

- It is a great thing to spend a little bit of time on because flags are symbols of cities or places or countries that people can rally behind.

So, by taking the time to change the flag, other cities have kind of given their city a rallying cry and a rallying symbol for that city's revival, for that city's progress, and I think that Cleveland could use something like that.

Kula looks to Chicago as a prime example of how a city flag should look.

It's simple, it's unique.

Chicagoans use the flag for souvenirs, T-shirts, and even tattoos.

The 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago featured flag elements in the game's logo.

Now, there are some Clevelanders who love and adore the flag as is.

It's a rare sight, but I promise I can walk around town and I can find some homes with the Cleveland flag flying off of it.

One of those homes is Terrell Pruitt's house.

He lives in Cleveland's Larchmere neighborhood.

He was born and raised in Cleveland and has been a city employee for more than two decades.

He wants Clevelanders to embrace the current design.

He thinks they would if they were made more aware that it even exists.

- We didn't learn about in school.

It wasn't something that was introduced to us in any type of induction ceremony.

It's not someplace you actually will be presented history.

It's a hidden gem, right?

And so I had to discover it on my own.

I think if people are really- If you really think that people will be likely to embrace it, they first gotta be introduced to it, right?

(laughing) It barely exists in some places.

- In 2017, Orlando adopted a simpler flag design.

Milwaukee officials have been reluctant to adopt a new official flag, but residents have started to fly an unofficial People's Flag of Milwaukee.

So, what do you think?

Do the proud people of Cleveland need a new flag or should Clevelanders embrace what's already here?

If we're talking new flags, what should it look like?

And while we're at it, did you know that Cuyahoga County has a flag too?

- Thanks, Gabe.

He's got us inspired for this week's "Write In."

We want you to get creative and design a banner for "NewsDepth."

Then tell us about the design you came up with.

We're headed on winter break after this very episode, so you'll have plenty of time to work on your banners and we might just feature your banner on the "NewsDepth" homepage.

Teachers, we'll have a printout for you to use, okay?

It's beneath this episode online.

Now, I'm excited to see what all of you come up with to represent our "NewsDepth" community.

Now, communities in six states are in the process of cleaning up after a string of deadly tornadoes hit their towns last weekend.

More than two dozen tornadoes ripped through Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

Thousands of structures were demolished and President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Kentucky, releasing federal funds to aid in recovery efforts.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he believes one of the twisters may be the longest tornado in history, having traveled 220 miles on the ground, with the majority wiping right through his state.

But he said the response of helpers has also been impressive.

- We are grateful to our first responders who were there all through the evening, out in the storm itself, showing incredible heroism, and they are still at work.

We're grateful for all the help that we've received from other cities and other states, help from the federal government that has come in so many different forms.

We are grateful for the outpouring of love.

- Helping your community when it's in need is a part of being a good citizen.

Volunteering, helping others, and becoming leaders is exactly what the Sandusky Club of Gentlemen are doing in their community.

They are this week's "NewsDepth" A+ award winners.

The Sandusky Club of Gentlemen is a dedicated group of students from Sandusky Middle School and Sandusky High School.

The group is open to any boy in the school, but there's a high expectation of commitment.

To earn a varsity letter, group members in seventh and eighth grade are expected to volunteer at least 30 hours.

9th and 10th graders, they have to volunteer 40 hours.

The 11th and 12th graders are expected to volunteer 50 hours over the year.

In the 2019-2020 school year, the group put in 1,400 hours of community service.

"We work on a lot of things with the men involved.

"One of our main goals is to improve as people.

"We focus a lot on our communication skills, manners, "confidence, scholarship, and giving back to our community," lead teacher Dustin Sharp explained.

The group was started in 2007 by the principal and 12 eighth-graders.

Since then, it's grown in size and reputation.

A wide range of Sandusky organizations reach out for the group's help with all kinds of events, including food drives, 5K races, even park cleanups.

The Club of Gentlemen has even created a clothing bank that provides people with professional clothes for job interviews or special events.

"I'm really proud of the group because here we are 14 years later "with 66 gentlemen in grades 7 through 12," Sharp said.

Mr. Sharp also tells us that some of his colleagues are starting a similar club for the young women at Sandusky Middle and Sandusky High Schools.

It'll be called the Leading Ladies.

We'll be looking forward to hearing about the work that they do.

I don't know about all of you, but I'm feeling motivated to give back to my community after hearing about these young men.

So, this week's "NewsDepth" A+ goes to the Sandusky Club of Gentlemen for working to be better citizens and giving back to their community.

Go Blue Streaks!

Now, let's see what adventure NewsCat's been up to.

Time for "Petting Zoo."

(soft drum music) (NewsCat meowing) NewsCat, winter break starts next week.

No time for napping just yet.

(gentle upbeat music) (computer keys clacking) Hey, she found a story about rhinos being relocated.

To find out why these big guys are getting a new home, click the "Petting Zoo" button on our website.

(Earth bouncing) And thank you, NewsCat.

One last reminder, NewsDepth is headed on winter break.

The next episode won't post online until... January 20th, 2022?!

That's a lotta days from now.

But if you're missing us, you can always find our special segments on YouTube.

And of course, that gives you lots of time to stay in touch, and there are plenty of ways to do so.

Send us a letter.

1375 Euclid Avenue, that's Cleveland, Ohio, our ZIP Code, 44115.

You can email us at newsdepth@ideastream.org, or just tweet us.

Our handle is @NewsDepthOhio.

Thanks for joining us, I'm Rick Jackson.

We'll see you right back here next year.

(upbeat rock music) (Earth bouncing) - [Child] "NewsDepth" is made possible by a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

Clear call-outs featured in "NewsDepth" are funded by the Ohio Broadcast Media Commission.

(soft ambient music)